Smiles of a Crore: Kerala’s Welfare Pensions Rewrite Lives

Thiruvananthapuram: In Kerala, receiving a welfare pension no longer means waiting in uncertainty or struggling for basic financial support. Today, nearly one crore people get their pensions directly at home, on time, every month — restoring independence, dignity, and peace of mind to lakhs of citizens.

When Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced raising welfare pensions to 2,000 rupees per month, around 62 lakh beneficiaries across the state welcomed the decision with pride. Building on this, the state cabinet, in its October 29 meeting, approved a monthly pension of 1,000 rupees for 31.34 lakh homemakers. Once implemented, Kerala will reach nearly one crore pension beneficiaries — a historic milestone in the state’s social security journey.

The government has made it clear: pensions are not charity, but a right. LDF administrations have consistently increased pension amounts and ensured timely disbursement. In contrast, when pension payments were briefly delayed due to the financial restrictions imposed by the central government, the UDF launched protests within the state, but remained silent in Parliament and outside on the Centre’s denial of Kerala’s rightful financial share. Even when the Chief Minister, ministers, and LDF representatives protested in Delhi against this discrimination, the UDF chose to stay away and mock the protest instead of standing with Kerala’s people.

In the Legislative Assembly, CM Pinarayi Vijayan had assured that all pending arrears — covering five months — would be cleared. That promise has now been fulfilled. By November, every arrear will be settled, and with the revised rate, pensioners will soon receive 3,600 rupees in total.

UDF 100 – LDF 1900

Kerala’s welfare pension journey began in 1980 when the E. K. Nayanar government introduced the Agricultural Workers’ Pension at 45 rupees per month — a groundbreaking move at that time. The succeeding UDF government led by K. Karunakaran did not increase the amount even by a single rupee.

When Nayanar returned to power in 1987, he raised it to 60 rupees, while the 1991–96 UDF government once again ignored pensioners completely. In 1996, the Nayanar-led LDF government doubled the pension to 120 rupees. However, the UDF governments led by A. K. Antony and Oommen Chandy between 2001 and 2006 not only failed to raise the amount but also left arrears extending up to 28 months.

When the LDF under V. S. Achuthanandan came to power in 2006, it cleared all arrears and raised the pension to 500 rupees — an increase of 380 rupees. When Oommen Chandy returned to office in 2011, he increased it by only 100 rupees to 600, again leaving arrears for up to 18 months.

One of the first major actions taken by the first Pinarayi Vijayan government in 2016 was to clear all pending arrears in a single instalment, releasing 1,473 crore rupees for this purpose. During the UDF tenure, only 34 lakh people received pensions; the LDF expanded this number to 62 lakh beneficiaries. The pension amount, which stood at 600 rupees under the UDF, was raised by 1,000 rupees to 1,600 during the first Pinarayi government.

In the second term, it was further increased by 400 rupees, reaching 2,000 rupees. Across decades, UDF governments have increased pensions by only 100 rupees in total, while LDF governments have raised them by 1,900 rupees — showing a clear and consistent commitment to welfare and dignity. Through timely payments, wide coverage, and historic pension hikes, Kerala’s welfare system has evolved into a model of inclusive governance — ensuring that every citizen, regardless of background, can live with security, independence, and self-respect.